God changes lives every day. However, I find it curious that God even changed Abram's name, as well as Sarai's. i can imagine them both walking up to people like, "um, it's Abraham now." It would be somewhat of a pain, I think, but also a glorious outward sign of God's promise. Everyone would know that somehow, everything changed.
The other sign of the promise was circumcision. (If you don't know what that is, ask your parents.) I wanted to talk about a metaphysical circumcision, though. I think the concept of cutting off different things in our lives is a healthy one - removing bad attitudes, or snide comments, or habits that take a bit of effort to be broken. I think to God, circumcision of the soul must be more important that circumcision of the body.
God's promise to Abraham was so great that he genuinely couldn't believe it. He promised Abraham descendants, and the land in which he was currently an outsider. It looked impossible at the time - so impossible that Abraham fell on the floor, and started laughing. God didn't even get offended. I imagine he probably laughed with his son that would become the father of many nations. God delights in laughter.
This is definite, as God tells Abraham to name his son after laughter itself. I love the playfulness of our creator. He embodies both might and delight.
And he keeps all his promises.
Genesis 18
One of my favorite things about God is the variety of different mediums that he uses. Sometimes he speaks through nature, or through music, or through prayer, but perhaps my favorite is the way he works with and uses people. In this chapter, the visitors speak to Abraham with something of a message from God.
Abraham does what I wish I could more often do, which is simply that he recognizes it at the time. He bows to them, calls them "Master," kills the calf, makes the bread. He does everything in his power to be a proper servant to these strangers. I think that's gorgeous.
I love how there are three men. It sort of represents the Trinity to me. Plus, you can see that they are all-knowing, by the way they call Abraham's wife by name. Then they proceed to change the world by telling Abraham that in a year at this time his wife is going to have a son.
Though Sarah laughs, she still regards childbearing as a deep pleasure. She never in her dizziest daydreams imagined that God would grant her a baby of her own. She laughs, and I picture the God smiling. His next words are a reminder that with Him, all things are possible.
I don't think It was too intelligent of Sarah to lie to God in saying that she didn't laugh, but I think all of us do it. We try to justify our actions, and defend ourselves, and sometimes just straight-up lie.
There is a 100% chance that God knows we're lying. Is it not easier to simply be like "oh, I'm sorry. I was being human again, and forgot that you even know my thoughts"?
I love that God reveals his plan to Abraham and allows Abraham to ask questions. I don't think He necessarily requires us to blindly accept what He says as law - we're allowed to doubt, and to question, and to search God for an answer. However, I think He begs us not to look elsewhere. If we can find the answers to our questions in God, the amount of faith we can gain is massive. And our relationship with the one who made us will grow exponentially.
"Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25 NIV)
Abraham knows God's goodness. And he, like myself, doesn't understand how a God so good could just massacre something, if there's anything worth saving.
I wanted to mention that I never see God destroying something as "God destroying something." I see it rather as "God sparing something." Saving them from the pain and sorrow of wickedness. Obviously,I don't know everything, so please take that with a grain of salt.
Have a glorious day!
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